The Whispering Cairn - Part One

22 April 2006

Players/Characters

• Aust (Russell) 1st level male Elven Spellthief
• Elzara (Will) 1st level female Elven Monk
• Kovar Hammerguild (Ian) 1st level Male Dwarven Paladin
• Tanith (Ewar) 1st level male Human Sorcerer
• Alexis Serria (Andrew) 1st level female Human Cleric
• Eolias (Richard) 1st level male Elven Ranger

The Background

Elzara and Aust concocted a plan to help them get out of Diamond Lake by raiding a long forgotten cairn about an hour's travel outside the town. Realising that they didn't have the skills necessary to survive such an adventure they set about finding like-minded individuals within the town.

Aust, tasked with getting mining and clerical experience, recruited Kovar and Alexis whilst Elzara brought in Eolias and Tanith for their respective fighting and arcane abilities.

The entire group met in an abandoned building just a short distance from the cairn entrance...

Game Events

The party entered the tomb, discovering a long abandoned bedroll in an alcove. Elzara, Aust and Tanith, being born locally, recalled the tale of a teenager who went missing around 15 years ago after accepting a bet to stay in an abandoned tomb alone, overnight. After a quick battle with three wolves, where Alexis learned the virtue of not rushing blindly into combat, the group found themselves in an octagonal room with seven short passages running off it, all bar two containing lanterns on a chain corresponding to the colours of the rainbow with an everburning torch lighting the green one. The blue lantern, having been found in the wolves' lair, was returned to it's rightful place.

Also in the centre of the room was a sarcophagus resting on a base like a stylized arrow. Pushing it around topoint at each tunnel in turn caused elevators to rise under three of the lanterns. Beneath the yellow lantern the party found brown mold and an earth elemental-type creature to defeat, and managed to unearth a magical suit of chainmail, a wand of shatter, a wand of unseen servant and a pair of eyes of minute seeing.

The passage beneath the green lantern collapsed after delivering Kovar to another subterranean area. The rest of the party were attacked by a swarm of acid beetles plus a strange creature that was little more than a central eye with six sharp legs sprouting from it. Fire and magic from both Tanith and Aust was sufficient to defeat the swarm, but not before Elzara had been knocked unconcious. After climbing down the elevator shaft the party defeated another swarm plus two giant beetles. A search of the area turned up 3 cure light potions, a magical pearl and a magical ring plus a set of masterwork red leather armour emblazoned with the eight-pointed symbol of the Seekers, an organisation of archaeologists and adventurers, before they came upon an area that was fully submerged.

Elzara bravely volunteered to search the area (at the end of a rope) and was attacked by a water elemental for her trouble. This was easily despatched, and then both Elzara and Alexis searched the rest of the passages, finding and defeating a ghoul in the process. This area yielded a magical short sword, a gold ring with the Seeker's insignia on it and the final missing red lantern.

Out of spells and in need of rest, the party returned to Diamond Lake to get more information about the things they had found from Allustan, the smartest man in the village. He told them that the many glyphs they had found carved all over the tomb were, in fact, probably artifacts of the Wind Dukes of Aqaa, a powerful pre-historic race of elemental beings once said to have dominated an Empire that spanned worlds. He intimated that he would be willing to assist the party for free in future as long as they continue to bring him information regarding the construction and contents of the tomb.

He asked the party to return in a few days when he would know more about the Wind Dukes.

Magic Items Found

• magical suit of chainmail
• wand of shatter
• wand of unseen servant
• pair of eyes of minute seeing
• 3 cure light potions
• pearl
• ring
• short sword

XP Summary

• 3 Wolves - EL2 - 900
• Beetle Swarm & Slasher - EL3 - 900
• Brown Mold - EL2 - 600
• Earth Elemental - EL1 - 300
• Giant Beetle - EL2 - 600
• Giant Beetle & Swarm - EL3 - 900
• Water Elemental - EL2 - 600
• Ghoul - EL2 - 600

Total XP gained - 5,400 or 900 each